5 Solutions to Lower the Cost of School Trips: From a Mom of Four

Statistics show it currently costs a quarter of a million dollars to raise a child in North America. Pretty sure half of that goes towards school expenses.

“Mom – I need $64 for a textbook next week.”

“Can you give me money for…a new agenda…pizza day…school pictures…and a yearbook? Oh and a replacement hamster for our classroom?”

And on it goes.

Everyday items can certainly add up, but by far, one of the largest school expenses is class getaways.

A few years ago, one of our boys had an opportunity to go on a $350 three-day school trip a few hours away. We wrestled with whether we would send him, knowing it was a big-ticket item and would set a precedent for future trips for his three younger brothers. Ultimately, we decided to pass on this trip since our youth group offered a similar outdoor experience at a fraction of the cost.

Who knows it is not easy to tell your middle-schooler he won’t be able to go on a school trip with their friends? In talking with another school Mom who also felt the trip was too expensive, a possible alternative emerged….

The rest of the post appears on Crystal Paine’s website, Money Saving Mom. Such an honor to be guest posting there today.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE: The day this post was published, guess who received a letter home about a 3-day school trip? The cost? $505. If you need me, I’ll be brainstorming options with the next son….

I’d love to show you around Lightly Frayed, if you have a moment. But if you’re flying out the door to pick up drycleaning or to negotiate an international crisis or to have your eyebrows done, simply pin these for later.

Karen Gauvreau would squeeze her four-baby-body into a cheerleader's uniform for you to know someone is rooting for you as a Mom - cartwheeling for your victories and offering a pep talk when you feel pummelled. If you laugh in the process, even better.